The PBy proposal is an ambitious long-term vision for an area that has not seen significant changes for decades. The scale and scope is extensive and, as with any such proposal, requires sustained support in order to keep it alive and present in the dialogue for a better Los Angeles.
The PBy proposal is also a grand experiment, originating in a collaborative group of professional environmental designers working pro bono with an established nonprofit in the pursuit of a grand urban vision. Conceived during a time of economic instability in both public and private sectors, the uncertainty of an assumed future opened the doors to rethinking “business as usual” in order to create a holistic, integrated idea of sustainable urban development.
As grand as it may be, the PBy proposal is neither impossible nor a simple theoretical exercise. Each aspect is based on precedented examples of similar undertakings in other cities and countries; it is the combination of these aspects that makes PBy unique. PBy is a layering of Chicago’s Millennium Park, Seoul’s Cheonggycheon River, Los Angeles’ Sepulveda Basin, San Francisco’s Mission Bay and more into one plan.
Each aspect of the PBy proposal is also based on the reality of forces already at work in Los Angeles. For example, our conceptual plan is not only consistent with the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan, but fully incorporates many of its suggestions and best practices – beginning with the choice of site itself. The Army Corps of Engineers has secured funding for completion of a feasibility study along this part of the River to investigate coupling ecological restoration with flood control. The City Community Redevelopment Agency’s East Adelante Improvement District encompasses the majority of land included in the PBy plan while the City’s burgeoning Clean Tech and BioMed Tech Corridors converge here, all seeking similar economic revitalization goals. The site also falls under the Boyle Heights Community Plan, currently being revamped in pursuit of neighborly goals by the Department of City Planning. Additionally, California High Speed Rail has targeted the west bank of the River to expand Union Station into a true intermodal transportation hub, thus creating the physical and financial opportunity to make PBy a new front door to the City of Los Angeles.
Let’s continue the experiment together by nurturing the seed that has been planted by the PBy proposal, cultivating it with attention and involvement. Let’s all join PBy.